Sulaiman Mountains


Sulaiman Mountains

(so͞olīmän`), range, extending c.250 mi (400 km) from N to S along the western edge of the Indus River valley in E Baluchistan province, central Pakistan. The twin peaks of Takht-i-Sulaiman [Persian,=throne of Solomon], 11,295 ft (3,443 m) and 11,085 ft (3,379 m) high, at the northern end of the range, are the highest points. A Muslim shrine there attracts many pilgrims.

Sulaiman Mountains

 

a system of outlying mountains in the eastern Iranian Plateau in Pakistan, with northern spurs situated in Afghanistan. The Sulaiman Mountains consist of parallel ranges that rise to elevations of 1,800–2,100 m and have a maximum elevation of 3,441 m. The mountains are separated by valleys and extend longitudinally almost 600 km. They are composed primarily of limestones and sandstones crushed into folds during the Cenozoic. The mountains end abruptly near the Indus River valley and are very seismic. The climate is dry and subtropical; however, the northeastern slopes are subject to summer monsoons. Dry steppes and mountain deserts predominate; the northeastern regions have areas of shrubs and oak, juniper, and pistachio forests. Irrigation agriculture is practiced; fruits are also grown in the river valleys.